Time for the next in our series of season one awards posts and this time we are moving from acting performances to something a bit more action-packed… Fight scenes!
We have selected the five best fight scenes from the first season of Game of Thrones. It is up to you, dear readers, to determine the best of the best. So go ahead and register your vote below. And then take to the comments to vehemently defend your choice.
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127 Comments
Got to be Syrio.
DeathToLannisters!Quote Reply
first!
Miltos vs. Lannisters ftw
mitchQuote Reply
Tough one. Liked them all really!
metalgoddessambQuote Reply
The Bronn vs Vardis stuff was preetty awesome. So many subtleties. Really need to watch it on slow mo.
anonQuote Reply
Syrio vs the Lannisters. It’s like violent ballet. But I loved all those fights, for various reasons.
Steve the PirateQuote Reply
What? No Mountain vs Hound. I thought that was brill.
But from these i have to go with Drogo vs Mago.
DannyQuote Reply
I think of the fights listed, Khal Drogo ripping Mago’s lyrinx and esophagus out was tops for its ferocity… followed closely by Jaime vs Ned for its sheer emotional value.
Honestly though, I think my favorite fight scenes were Jon Snow training with his soon-to-be Night’s Watch brother’s.
Kit Harrington’s aggression and speed was more impressive to me than any other swordsman’s in Season One.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Yeah, why isn’t the the fight between the Sandor and Gregor there? The way he kneels in the end and nearly gets his head chopped off was pretty awesome.
RipleyQuote Reply
Tough choice…though if I could, I would vote for Syrio and Arya’s first training session. Not a fight per se, but one of my favorite scenes from the whole season. I will vote for anything with Syrio.
I know a lot of people who hadn’t read the books were anticipating this big fight scene between Ned and Jaime because of all the build up…but I have to say I was underwhelmed. It seemed out of character for the always rational Ned (which is probably why it wasn’t in the book, lol).
judeQuote Reply
Drogo vs Mago. Very easy choice.
Alexander DubrovskyQuote Reply
Smart move Winter, omit the two biggest and dangerous guys from the cast on your list!
KnurkQuote Reply
Danny,
I actually felt The Mountain vs The Hound was one of the weaker fight scenes. Not nearly as epic and intense as in the books, not to mention it felt too planned out and methodical to me.
darquemodeQuote Reply
Drogo’s fight was the best fools. Made even better by the fact that we didn’t know it was coming.
Hill tribe fight was badass also.
Also, Robert vs. his jousting armor was a good one as well.
Brad VillaneQuote Reply
Loved them ALL.
These polls are just reinforcing how good the show is.
jellydonutQuote Reply
“go, child. our dancing is thru for the day.”
AHHHHH! has GOT to be, as the whole next beat establishes just what HAPPENS to him…or DOESN’T IT?? “-)) VM! VM! VM! (oh geez…i’m offically swept up in all of this now.)
bronn was a verrrrry close 2nd.
excellent poll! “-)
frog spear girlQuote Reply
Oh, dear ! whittled it down to Syrio , Jorah or Drogo..Went with Syrio. (I’m so predictable ). Really they were all so good , it’s a shame to have to choose.
ObsidianQuote Reply
Ned versus Jaime.
ValornaQuote Reply
A bit shocked noone has mentioned voting for Bronn vs Vardis yet. It felt the most real, to me out of all of them.
+1 to Bronn.
sjweningsQuote Reply
I may be alone on this one, but I loved Jorah vs. Qotho. Loved it in the book and loved it in the show. Great forshadowing in episode 3 as Jorah tells Rakaro of the relative strengths of the arakh and the longsword. Sure enough – Qotho’s arakh gets stuck in Jorah’s armor. It was cool in the book that the arakh penetrated deep enough to get caught in Jorah’s femur, but that woud have been both very hard to convey on fim and very gruesome.
Edric DayneQuote Reply
FU*KING BRONN!!!!!
João AmaralQuote Reply
Ned and Jaime.
Mountain and Hound battle was kind of too short in my opinion, especially due to the offscreen shots of King Robert and Joffrey’s reactions.
AdamQuote Reply
Ugh, I can’t decide between Ned/Jaime and Syrio/guards. I’m just gonna go with Ned/Jaime as it seems there hasn’t been many votes for them yet.
John-Michael LelievreQuote Reply
went with Bronn and Vargis…
coltaine777Quote Reply
I didn’t even read past Syrio.
John WQuote Reply
Drogo vs. Mago was pure bad ass, i’m so happy they decided to add that scene.
Mirri MazQuote Reply
Anything Bronn automatically gets my vote
Jim CrossQuote Reply
No fare, I just voted twice just to see if I could….. Sorry it was an accident, promise
Jim CrossQuote Reply
Ser Gregor vs Sandor for me, even if the best part of it ended up on the cutting room floor.
Khal Drogo vs Ko Mago and Syrio vs Ser Meryn & Co share second.
::edit::
I may be in a minority, but I thought Ser Vardis vs Bronn one of the weaker fight scenes. Same with Ser Jorah vs Qotho. Those two fights featured two of my favourite characters too.
GaRQuote Reply
The Mountain vs Hound fight scene was very poorily edited. Even Conan Stevens said it looked bad.
I went with Drogo vs Mago for shocking factor, and Syrio vs. guards 2nd.
shadallionQuote Reply
Syrio vs guards
Igor VelosoQuote Reply
Bronn vs. Vardis.
Jessica C.Quote Reply
Many Jason Momoa fans have waited for that part for ages, because he has mentioned this fighting scene as his favorite one real soon.
CavegirlQuote Reply
I allways thought it was ridiculous that the Lannister guards dropped unconcious after just a light tap on the head by Syrio, so my vote goes to Drogo! (with Bronn close on his heels)
To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed by most of the fight scenes as they often felt very much choreographed, but I think it was a deliberate decision by D&D to make the fighting come across as realistic as possible (as opposed to fight scenes à la ’300′ and the likes…). Sometimes the editing could have been better though in my opinion, so I look forward to see if they improve on this further in S2!
Tar KidhoQuote Reply
I had a bit of trouble with this one.
Drogo v Mago was one of the best scenes in the series but I wouldn’t really call it a fight scene… However, it’s the only chance I’m gonna get to put my seal of approval on it so I went for it anyway.
Dickon ManwoodyQuote Reply
Syrio.
Kharn9Quote Reply
Where is Mountain vs Hound and the Mountain tribes vs Catelyn’s party ??? I want to click on one of it!!!
BonoQuote Reply
How can I be expected to choose? That whole list is full of awesome
JoQuote Reply
I’ll go with Syrio. Don’t know if it would count but even though it was different from the books, Robb and Theon vs the Wildlings was pretty awesome. Especially since we aren’t likely going to get very many Robb fight scenes
Anthony CordiscoQuote Reply
Bono,
I forgot about that fight. Definitely one of my favorites.
Anthony CordiscoQuote Reply
Bronn’s a beast. I love his efficiency.
Howland ReedQuote Reply
Ned and Jaime. When Jaime stabbed Jory in the eye, I was so shocked…kinda like how Ned looked. I immediately became tense and anxious, not knowing what was going to happen. I had so much emotion built up when Jaime and Ned went at it…I thought that was the most gripping fight of the series. I was sure Ned was getting the upperhand ’til that guard stabbed Ned with the spear. I was hoping Jaime had killed that guard. I was just glad Ned wasn’t dead…but then later…
LisaQuote Reply
I must say that my best fight scenes are not in the pool. Arya vs syrio with ned looking will be my first, and bronn vs annonimus tribe people will be my second.
DashQuote Reply
Arya + Nymeria vs. Joffrey isn’t even on this list. Nor is the fight scene in which Tyrion Lannister saves Catelyn Stark’s life by using an enemy’s shield as a weapon instead of trying to escape.
Of the choices given, Syrio vs. guards for sheer bravado.
Nylla’s KinQuote Reply
Arya + Nymeria vs. Joffrey isn’t even on this list. Nor is the fight scene in which Tyrion Lannister saves Catelyn Stark’s life by using an enemy’s shield as a weapon instead of trying to escape.
Of the choices given, Syrio vs. guards for sheer bravado.
Nagga’s KinQuote Reply
The Varys vs Baelish verbal sparring scenes were the best fighting scenes really.
LokenQuote Reply
*I* voted for Bronn and Ser Vardis. The others either were not as impressive (Clegane duel) or were too brief (Syrio’s last stand, Jaime/Ned, Jorah/Qotho and Drogo/Mago).
Bronn and Vardis Egan had a proper epic duel, which I felt was very thrilling and well choreographed.
ZackQuote Reply
Bronn vs Vardis… because of Bronn´s cunning
Syrio vs Lannisters… I like Syrio´s courage more than the fight itself
Jorah vs Qotho… only because… it is Jorah
andreaQuote Reply
Couldn’t possibly care less about this, but voted anyway.
RoseQuote Reply
Drogo all the way. The tongue ripping was so surprising and over the top, it will be talked about in years to come. The other scenes are pale in comparison. Plus none of them were as clear cut as Drogo’s. They all seem labored and tedious in retrospect.
SugarVampireQuote Reply
Long time reader, first time poster, everyone! Yay! Best fight scene? I’d say Tyrion’s fighting during battle of the Green Fork…. waaaaiiiiit. Haaaaaa!
I agree, I loved Syrio’s fight with the Lannister guards, but the fact that the guards were knocked out so easily seemed a bit cheesy. I loved Jorah’s fight with Qotho because of the foreshadowing. For sheer ferocity I’d say Drogo vs Mago. For best emotional conveyance and acting, I’d go with Ned vs Jaime.
But the overall greatest fight scene would be Bronn vs Vardis. It involved two lesser characters, and if you hadn’t read the book, you’d have no idea who might win, which made for intense watching. I DID read the books, however, but thought it was the best all the same. His “meh” acceptance to Tyrion’s plea, his quizzical look to Lysa if he should kill Vardis, and it was more or less straight from the book whereas DvM and NvJ were not.
Gared StormQuote Reply
Anyone that thinks Bronn vs Vardis was well choreographed is smoking some serious stuff. Vardis would have had difficulty hitting the side of a barn with the skills portrayed in that scene.
I thought the fight choreography in the entire season was a weak point. Most all TV and movie sword fighting is incredibly unrealistic. Skilled swordfighters aren’t trying to strike each other’s swords like they do in movies and TV.
To those who voted out Mago vs Drogo b/c it was too brief … swordfights didn’t really last very long like they do on TV and in movies , especially between unarmored opponents.
Drogo vs Mago was by far the best scene , one of the reasons being it’s short length.
JimboQuote Reply
Drogo got my vote.
honorable mentions:
- Tyrion and the shield vs. the mountain clan dude’s face — Tyrion
- Tyrion and his palms vs. Joffrey’s cheeks — all the viewers
- Robb vs The Tree — Robb
- Jon vs Samwell (hit him good with scrub brush) — uhh, the table? :P
- Bran vs The Ground — draw :D
- Tyrion vs Mord – Mord did all the smacking, but Tyrion won the battle of words
- Arya vs Hot Pie – she showed that fat boy
- Arya vs The Stable Boy – ummmmm… yeah
- Hugh of the Vale vs Sharp Shard of Wood — chunk of wood
- Marillion vs Hot Knife and Pincers — …..
etc. :)
ClobQuote Reply
Ned vs Jaime, no hesitation.
Tyler L. MetcalfeQuote Reply
Ned and Jaime! Nuff said.
MichelleQuote Reply
I liked Jorah vs Qotho
Qotho:”Look at how fierce and swift and mean I am!” (Jumps and spins around)
Jorah: “Lolz, armor biatch!”
Qotho: “Derp?”
Jorah: “Now look at me cut your head open” (Cuts Qotho’s head open)
BlockerQuote Reply
Very tough choice! All were great. :) But I had to go with Syrio.
Grant GouldQuote Reply
That was the most utterly terrible fight scene in the show. Not only was it blatantly obvious that Brendan McCormack was not trying to hit Jerome Flynn at all, he also didn’t even use his shield to interpose, just sort of held it there on his arm.
Whoever did the choreography / directed that fight – dear me. I could have done better :S
Most of the fight scenes were very underwhelming (yes, including Syrio’s – as much as I loved that in the books).
My favourites were Ned vs Jaime – because even though it was an obvious hollywood choreographed fight, Bean and Coster-Waldau actually looked like they had some skill.
The Drogo vs Mago one was okay too.
Jordan HealeyQuote Reply
What a terrible post!
I mean, really MUST we be reminded that dear wonderful handsome Jory is dead?! ?
bah humbug WIC NET
*sniffs*
JORY FOREVER!
;)
sweetonsigmafilmsQuote Reply
Worse than Hound vs Mountain?
sjweningsQuote Reply
Yes I think so. The editing was the problem with that one, not the acting.
Jordan HealeyQuote Reply
I’d say editing is part of the fight scene, but whatever. And its certainly the most choerographed-looking, I think. Even if you just watch it cut for cut.
sjweningsQuote Reply
Still doesn’t look as pathetic as Brendan McCormack waving around his sword at pillars and tapestries, not even using his shield arm :P
Jordan HealeyQuote Reply
I didn’t really see that. Bronns styl was obviously to not be there, when Vardis sword was supposed to hit him, and well.. it just didn’t look bad to me. And he didn’t hold up his shield all that much because Bronn rarely tried to hit him.
sjweningsQuote Reply
But… but…
The Mountain vs. The Hound. It was short… but sweeeeeeet.
Jenn RoseQuote Reply
I think that anyone who thought the Vardis vs Bronn fight was well done needs to visit thearma.org which is the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts and watch some videos to see how a skilled swordsman actually swings a sword.
It should then become pretty obvious just how pathetic the Vardis vs Bronn fight was.
JimboQuote Reply
Coming from someone who said “Most all TV and movie sword fighting is incredibly unrealistic”, I’m not surprised.
It seems you and maybe one other here mostly got provoked when i used the word “realistic”. Maybe you’re exaggerating a little for good measure?
sjweningsQuote Reply
Drogo was awesome, but Syrio was superawesome.
LalaQuote Reply
Drogo’s fight because it gave him a chance to show what a badass he was. Pushing himself onto the Arakh and then pulling out Mago’s tongue! Urk!
lorinhellerQuote Reply
Uhh no , I’m not exaggerating. Go to that site and watch the videos if you think I am and your ignorance will be dispelled.
Most TV and movie swordfights are incredibly unrealistic. If you think TV and movies accurately depict actual swordplay as it took place during medieval times then I don’t know what to tell you.
Like I said , look at some of the videos on that site and you’ll see just how off you were to categorize the Bronn vs Vardis fight as “the most real” of the series.
The 1st few seconds of that fight were LOL worthy imo. An easily telegraphed overhead swing by Vardis and a lazy one handed block by Bronn. Definitely obvious that 2 actors with little sword practice were going at it.
JimboQuote Reply
Well, obviously this depends on where your standards lie to some extent. If it was really that superbad, then even “normal” people should be able to spot it, yet the response from this forum and the clip on youtube were good/very good.
I didn’t say it felt all that real, it felt the most real. And one can’t expect all that much from people that have little or no prior swordfighting experience – even with an instructor and all – so I take that into consideration when i make my judgement. To compare it to “the real deal” doesn’t seem fair, therefore I can call it a very good fightscene – if not a very good fight.
I do somewhat agree on the first clash of their swords, though. I actually noticed it the first time I saw the fight, but other than that it worked very well for me. Checked out some of the videos on that page you reccomended, and I was rather impressed with the speed of the fighters and the way they jumped back and forth into different stances. Though I also saw several swings that were never gonna get there. I don’t doubt their abilities really, but I saw some things that I would have interpreted as lacking in a TV-show. Like – if I didn’t actually KNOW they were good.
I’d like to hear your opinion on other fight scenes of the season, though. And why they were better – if still pretty bad.
sjweningsQuote Reply
I don’t see how there can even be any debate about this. Drogo voluntarily disarmed himself, then he voluntarily gave himself what would eventually turn out to be a fatal wound, and then, having established beyond all doubt that he’s a badass, he proceeded to use his opponent’s own weapons to cut his throat and then ripped the dude’s tongue out through the hole! Come on. No two guys smashing each each other with swords can beat that.
AshavanQuote Reply
It’s not even a question, – Syrio vs guards.
latebirdQuote Reply
Well the truth is most people’s standards for good swordplay aren’t very high. Not many people have seen those ARMA videos or even many Asian films where the choreography is superior to anything Hollywood has produced.
A realistic swordfight also isn’t necessarily entertaining for some people since they don’t last very long, evidenced by some of the comments in this thread. Some people equate short with lacking in suspense.
As far as the other fight scenes go , I thought the Jorah vs Qotho was decent , the Hill Tribes vs Catelyn’s party was executed well enough as well. Ned vs Jaime had one or two ridiculous Hollywood-esque sword moves that you’d never see in a real fight but besides that I thought they did a good enough job. The ease at which Syrio took down armored soldiers with hits to their helmets I thought was bad. In the novel it’s made clear how he strikes at their vulnerable parts but that was completely lacking in the show. I was waiting to see one of those Lannister guards lose his eye but that never happened.
The Vardis scene was by far the worst imo because of Vardis’ extremely slow, lumbering , unbalanced , straight armed swings of his sword. It was just painful to watch for me. One hour of basic training with one of those ARMA instructors could have improved that fight scene tenfold. Watching a fight scene where a supposedly skilled trained knight can’t even swing a sword properly and it’s obvious within a second of the beginning of the fight was downright disappointing.
They could have emphasized that he was being tired out without making him appear to be completely incompetent with a sword in his hand.
JimboQuote Reply
I still think that Tyrion slapping Joffrey was the best fight scene in the series, but I’ll have to settle for when it wins “Most Heartwarming Scene”, I guess…
PatrickQuote Reply
Bronn Vs. Vardis is my favorite. But it’s episode 6, not 7 :)
JohnQuote Reply
Too. Much. Awesome. Can’t. Compute…
Tom HazelQuote Reply
Nightmare choice! Hardest yet. Syrio was goosebumpy, but the Khal was on fire and I cheered. Bronn’s was the best technically, because it looked real. I believed it could happen. What to do? What is better? I shall think on it and vote later!
dimensionallytQuote Reply
I love you, lol!
sjweningsQuote Reply
Syrio v Lannister guards
Come on, he took out 4 guys with a wooden sword!
BlingslayerQuote Reply
Though I think Khal Drogo and Qotho have the best fighting skills (especially Qotho’s hawk style), Syrio’s fight againt Ser Meryn and the Lannister guards was the most intense one by far, because in this scene the little man gets a giant, and everything he says has so much weight…
“I am Syrio Forel, and you will be speaking to me with more respect!”
“Are you men or snakes that you would threaten a child”
Haha awesome scene…
Nathanael TargaryenQuote Reply
Of the options presented I chose Drogo vs. Mago for Momoa’s aggression and bravado. I sold Drogo in rage mode so well.
That said I agree with everyone who has mentioned Arya’s first dancing lesson. As a fencer myself it was cool to see someone fight with efficiency and skill rather than flashy finesse. In real competition that gets you nowhere.
My pick for best fight however would be Ser Barristan vs. The Kingsguard. Dude beat them without a single swing.
I was delighted he was a POV character in A Dance With Dragons
EdibleBrainQuote Reply
That was meant to say ‘He sold…’ not ‘I’. Stupid iPhone. I am not Jason Mamoa. I did not play Drogo.
EdibleBrainQuote Reply
My final two are Drogo vs.Mago and Jorah vs. Qotho.
The first shows Drogo’s badassery, proves that Drogo’s not some chieftain with fancy make-up, but khal, warrior who have never had his braid cut.
The latter shows the superiority of westerosi art of fight and proves Jorah is called “ser” for a reason.
GrzebykKQuote Reply
The fight scene choreography was not the strongest part of Game of Thrones season 1. I liked Syrio vs guards best of the options listed.
Ron E.Quote Reply
Summer vs. Assassin.
Chris BeasleyQuote Reply
Jorah & Quoto for sure!
Fight was soooo symbolic.
KidQuote Reply
ADWD spoilers
Yey! Me too. Lots of people were annoyed with those chapters, but I loved them! He totally kicks arse, and it shows you how hard it is to have his job! Plus it is nice to see a POV where someone isn’t out to play the game or seek revenge, just do their job and do it well and honorably despite the clash with their own morality and desires.
dimensionallyTQuote Reply
–I have to go with Bronn vs. Vardis. It was the most realistic, and very nuanced.
–The Drogo fight was totally bad-ass, but way too choreographed.
–I also seriously considered the Syrio vs. Lannisters, but a crucial part of any fight is the outcome. Since we never see the outcome, I couldn’t vote for it….
TenesmusQuote Reply
I voted for Drogo vs Mago, but Syrio’s fight was the one that brought the most emotions. However, tough choice
NowitzkiQuote Reply
dimensionallyT,
ADWD Spoilers below
I was constantly worried that poor Selmy was going to suffer the same fate as every other ‘honourable’ character in the books, especially given how much attention was paid to his age and his diminished ability.
I really hope the series runs long enough to see him gut Khrazz. THAT will be a good fight to put on one of these vote lists :)
EdibleBrainQuote Reply
sjwenings,
I agree with you on Vardis v Bronn. Unlike some of the other choices, I was invested in the outcome and wanted it to end as it did, but it was still cringeworthy-awful.
Richard WeetabixQuote Reply
In my opinion the best has to be Bronn vs. Ser Vardis. Although it involved relatively minor characters it was well-paced and had a gritty, realistic feel that is in contrast to some of the more obviously-choreographed fights that more major characters got. And it was just damn fun to watch.
EvilPicnicQuote Reply
OT, but an interesting comment from my blog regarding the direwolves for Season 2:
I presume he meant a real dog (maybe one of the ones from last year?), but otherwise interesting news.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
I don’t see this going any way but a Syrio win.
Ned vs. Jaime would have been more exciting if they’d stayed with the books and gone with one-handed longswords.
KGQuote Reply
Mountain VS Hound! BEST IMHO
Jon vs WW was pretty awesome
SuzetteQuote Reply
Adam Whitehead,
yeah I presumed as much. Two Feathers (or was it Rimshot?) also said he saw the ‘new bigger’ direwolves, but didn’t go into details.
KnurkQuote Reply
Honestly all were great, even the ones not mentioned.
But it’s DROGO TIME! Seriously, one of the best fight scenes ever, series or movie.
WelfareNinjaQuote Reply
Yes! I love the way they did it. You can see Vardis movements, slow it down, and you’ll get a longsword and shield fighting method. Bronn is excelent too.
SpartanQuote Reply
I thought Jorah vs. Qotho was the most suspenseful.
JustinQuote Reply
Ned vs Jaime. Ned looked old, tired, and a little scared of taking on the one person everyone considered the best swordsman. But you could tell Ned was a smarter fighter than Jaime, and Jaime understood it too.
KrisQuote Reply
Gregor vs Sandor by FAR, but since it’s not on the list I went with Syrio vs guards though Drogo vs Mago was a close second.
ANHQuote Reply
Kris,
Ned might have been the smarter fighter, but Jaime would have killed him anyway, and the kill would have been “clean”. So you can say the guard saved Ned’s life with his intervention, since Jaime couldn’t kill Ned being brought down by another man…
Nathanael TargaryenQuote Reply
I went with Syrio because not only did he fight awesomely, but it was all to protect Arya Stark. I loved how he got a hold of the cape of one of the Lannister soldiers and kept the soldier out of the fight (as well as a shield) while he fought the others.
In 2nd place, for wicked badassedness, I would pick Drogo vs. Mago. It got the most fanboyish reaction out of me due to the extreme violence.
The only other battle that I let out a whoop in was when Jory got it through the eye. Did not see that coming!
This one was not as hard to choose as some of other polls have been, for me at least. I really loved Syrio’s tutelage of Arya, and loved how he defended her.
David The GreyQuote Reply
Jorah’s because 1. I am unashamed and biased Jorah fan and 2. its one of the only fight scenes ever that shows how useful armor can be (usually, armor is useless)
userjQuote Reply
Lords and ladies of the House Gatewatch – new casting clue
The RabbitQuote Reply
Hallyne but otherwise I´ve no clue
CzarQuote Reply
+1 to that.
There is something that made them seem phony, lacking somehow, perhaps the poor editing or the choreographies, I can’t pin point the cause.
I also felt the training scenes of Jon in the Nightwatch were the best.
HernánQuote Reply
Hernán,
Dunno those helmets aren’t exactly Bell-rated. Nothing to stop or dissipate a straight line transfer of energy from the weapon to your head. A solid blow would knock you silly for a brief time.
(Got blindsided by a wooden practice sword while wearing a fencing mask)
(Got knocked silly)
KGQuote Reply
Bronn v Ser Vardis. For a number of reasons.
Its one of my favourite passages in the book, very credibly portraited in the series and filled with brilliant and tense moments, and it marks the beginning of the Tyrion/Bronn partnership.
NiklasQuote Reply
/Signed
Pau SorianoQuote Reply
Definitely Bronn and Vardis! Else we’d not have chosen this epic scene from the bunch to recreate! http://youtu.be/lE0iOclmFXQ (the swordmasters have spoken) ;)
Kristen NedopakQuote Reply
I don’t know what’s more disappointing, the fact that people either don’t even notice the horrific acting in most of the fights, or they simply don’t care.
And this is the reason why not much effort is put into them by the producers et al.
Jordan HealeyQuote Reply
Yeah! What she said!
Both those scenes were great in my totally non-expert non-renaissance sword fighting historian opinion. To me, it is less about being technically correct than about the emotions the words and actions evoke, i.e. sheer entertainment value. Syrio, so calm, so protective of Arya, odds so bad it is heartwrenching. And the fact that you don’t know his fate . . .
AssuntaQuote Reply
I definitely liked the ass kicking Syrio unleashed on the Lannister guards, it was also probably the most noble of the fights, definitely as someone else mentioned, the training scenes with Jon Snow. I also liked it when Rob and Theon dispatched the wildlings in order to save Bran, hell that scene gave us Osha. Bronn vs. Varis was a good one…the killer line at the end “Your fight with no honour!…He did!”… I laughed my ass off at the expression on Bronn’s face…
Alas, my favourite one was Ned versus Jamie, so that’s the one I voted for! To see two master swordsmen at play was tremendous! Especially after that exchange early in the season…”The competition has become a bit stale…I don’t want a man to know what I can do…”, you knew that was going to set-up a confrontation between those two at some point. I was especially pleased to see the strain on Jamie’s face towards the end as well as his surprise at Ned’s fighting skills. Jamie always projects and air of complete self-confidence (as we have seen is just a facade), and in that scene it seemed that perhaps he thought he might have made a mistake by underestimating Ned. For me that put it over the top of the other scenes. Unfortunately that medlesome Lannister henchman interferred… I would have liked to have seen a full length duel between Jamie and Ned.
I wanted to see Ser Barristan in a fight, especially since everybody seems to defer to him as one of the best swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms. Come to think of it, Ser Jorah Mormont was no pushover either….
loco73Quote Reply
I just loved the Syrio vs. Lanisters! That one got my vote!
VeredQuote Reply
surprised Mountain/Hound isn’t there as it’s my second favorite after Drogo/Mago ofc
SA_AvengerQuote Reply
Tough one, but I had to go with Ned vs. Jaime.
EmmaQuote Reply
What? No Gregor vs Horse & Sandor ??? That was a prety intence fighting scene!!
D4skalosMQuote Reply
Eye/Dagger for sure.
On a related note, looks like Buster is working on Th Dark Knight Rises based on this video. Not working on season 2?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/aug/05/dark-knight-rises-fight-footage
Ser Lemon CakesQuote Reply
I join the chorus of those surprised Mountain v Hound isn’t on the list. Syrio & Arya was training rather than a proper fight, but I loved that scene.
Mountain clan fight was good too, though I was disappointed Catelyn was more wimpy than in the book, particularly since she had at least made a good effort at stopping the assassin in Bran’s room.
Still, those on the list make choosing hard enough. Drogo v Mago and Syrio v guards were my favourites to watch, though Jorah v Qotho seemed, to my non-expert eye, very realistic (armour is useful, and the fight was short and to the point). Having trouble choosing, but I think it has to be Syrio- awesome as Drogo’s fight was, there was a lot more posing and theatre in it than Syrio’s- and Drogo was daft enough to deliberately take an injury, and we all know what happened next. Besides, it’s enough to remember than Syrio did all that with a wooden sword!
I’m still hoping a future series will find a way to include a flashback of Robert v Rhaegar, which surely would be fantastic.
ShinyteapotQuote Reply
Er WiC, why isn’t Jon v. his brothers on the list? That for me showed more ferocity and skill than the others. But because it wasn’t on the list, I voted for Syrio, for the grace and ease at which he knocked out them guards.
BroQuote Reply
It should be Jaime vs Bran obviously, duh! (just kidding)
Voted for Bronn, most realistic one, and the setting of the Eerie added extra drama to the tension of the fight.
Syrio close second.
Drogo’s is way too short to be considered a real fight imo, same thing with the Cleganes which is mentionned by commenters. They’re good scenes, but not full fights scenes like the others.
Jean-RalphioQuote Reply
Robert vs. Blackberry Jam.
Jordan TabbQuote Reply
No contest: Jaime vs. Ned.
LuanaQuote Reply
Bronn vs Vardis, followed by Drogo vs Mago for shear Badassness (is there such a word)?
Bronn is yet another perfect casting choice and the fight scene was long, epic and had one of the best lines in the series: Lysa: “You don’t fight with honor”! Bronn: “No… he did” :)
Syrio vs Lannisters was to me not realistic enough. In the book the wooden practice sword virtually pokes holes in the Lannister men’s throats. What we saw was a few whacks which wouldn’t even hurt an unarmored boy… really I was very irritated with that scene’s execution. And the fact they didn’t show Tyrion fighting was also a setback… that said… awesome awesome rendition of “A Game with Thrones”!
UdiQuote Reply
Oh my. How is one supposed to pick one of those? They were all brilliant. Missed the training fight at the Night Watch though and maybe the one Jon Snow/dead Ranger. They were pretty impressive, especially Kit Harington’s skills (no girly crush preference involved! … not much).
Wow…gotta think bout that. I think I’m going for Bronn/Vardis though. I think. Probably. If not Drogo/Mago, … or Syrio … or Ned/Jaime … or Jorah. DAMN.
WildlingQuote Reply
How can I see the results?
SingQuote Reply